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This is the third in a four-week series to help attendees explore Chicago. Please also visit Walking Tour One and Walking Tour Two.
My favorite way to explore a city is on foot. I think it has something to do with the experience of using all five of my senses in a way that driving (or boat-riding) tours just can’t match. (Not to mention that walking is good for Earth, good for you and good for your wallet. Well, potentially good for you and your wallet. I suppose that depends on your discipline when in such close proximity to Garrett Popcorn Shops.) This tour takes you throughout The Loop. So if you’ve planned a little extra time before or after BlogHer ’09, and were hoping to see a little bit of the city (believe me: there’s plenty to see), then I’ve got a juicy tidbit for you: Chicago walking tours.
BlogHer community member Cynthia Clampitt created three tours, and we couldn’t wait to share them with you. Each week leading up to the conference (July 2, 9, 16 and 22) we’ll publish them in this space for you, with a Tips and Fun Facts wrap-up. So whether you’re looking to get to know the Windy City better or just want to exercise (with a view), you can find it here.
Walking Tour #3: The Loop
(approximately one-half mile)
The Loop is the center of Chicago’s history, business, and politics. It is where the city’s first high-rises rose, where the first department stores opened, and where much of the city’s best-known monumental art lives. It is also where the elevated train, or “L”, makes a loop around the heart of downtown—though the name “The Loop” predates the elevated train, coming from a streetcar loop dating to 1882, the route of which the train simply followed.
The “L” itself is one of the city’s identifying features. The elevated train made its first full run around the Loop in 1897. (Cheap Thrill: for about $2, you can ride around the Loop on the "L". It offers some great views of the downtown area and lets you see handsome decorations originally added to buildings at L-level for the benefit of riders. But pick up a map at one of the stations, so you don’t end up leaving town.)
Heading west on Jackson, shortly after you cross State Street, you come to the Monadnock Building (53 W. Jackson). In 1893, when it was completed, it was the world's largest office building. At the time, it was remarkable for its simplicity of design. Some say that modern architecture began with the construction of this building. It is also a “crossroads” of old and new forms of construction. The north part is a masonry, wall-bearing structure—the last skyscraper to employ this method of construction. The stone walls had to support the weight of the building, and they are six-feet thick at the base. The south addition, however, is an early example of steel-frame construction, its underlying structure revealed through narrow piers and wide windows.
At 65 W. Jackson, you pass the Union League Club of Chicago. For more than a hundred years, this has been the place where people have gathered to plan important civic projects and organize the city’s social and philanthropic efforts.
In two more blocks, you reach LaSalle Street. This is one of Chicago’s most famous locales—where the money is. At the end of LaSalle, on Jackson, is the imposing Chicago Board of Trade, one of the city’s finest examples of Art Deco architecture. The Board of Trade is topped by a statue of Ceres, goddess of grain. On either side of La Salle Street are the Federal Reserve Bank and Bank of America, with nearly identical, Greek-revival façades. Turn north on La Salle, and look back to get the full impact of this bastion of currency.
Continuing north on La Salle, at Adams, you come to The Rookery. Completed in 1888, it is the oldest high-rise in Chicago that is still standing. The lobby was remodeled in 1905 by Frank Lloyd Wright, who simplified the ornate ironwork and added decorative touches that reflect his style. An open light court extends through the center of the building, down to the lobby skylight. On the west side of this court there is a semi-spiral staircase that is among the most commonly photographed architectural features in the city.
At Madison, you’ll see the One North LaSalle Building.
